The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is a smartphone developed by Xiaomi Inc. as part of Xiaomi's low-end Redmi smartphone line. It has three variants:
- The MediaTek variant (codenamed hennessey) was released on November 24, 2015.
- The Snapdragon variant (codenamed kenzo) was launched in February, 2016.
- Redmi Note 3 Special Edition (codenamed kate) was launched in June 2016; it features an upgraded modem and a new housing, other specifications are the same as the Snapdragon variant.
Specifications[edit]
Hardware[edit]
The MediaTek variant of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is powered by the system-on-chip with a 2.0 GHz octa-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU and a GPU. The Snapdragon variants are powered by the system-on-chip with a hexa-core CPU consisting of a high performance cluster with 2x 1.8 GHz ARM Cortex-A72 cores and a high efficiency cluster with 4x 1.6 GHz ARM Cortex-A53 cores, and an Adreno 510 GPU. The phone comes with 2 GB or 3 GB of RAM and 16 GB or 32 GB of eMMC 5.0 internal flash storage.
Another notable difference between the MediaTek and Qualcomm variants of the phone is the rear-facing camera; there is a 13 MP camera sensor on the MediaTek variant whereas this is upgraded to a 16 MP sensor on the Qualcomm variants. There is also a 5 MP front-facing camera on all variants.
All variants of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 include a 5.5 in (140 mm) 1080p display with 1080x1920 pixels resolution and 403 ppi pixel density. The Snapdragon variants use a special display technology known as 'Sunlight Display' in which the phone detects the ambient light and makes pixel-level adjustments in order to improve legibility under the sunlight. The phone also features a blue light filter for low light (night) reading.
Another notable feature of the phone is the presence of a fingerprint sensor at the back. It can also be used for taking photos via the front-facing or rear-facing camera. The phone has a 4050 mAh Li-Po non-removable battery.
Connectivity[edit]
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 has Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, thus supporting both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. The MediaTek variant supports two SIM cards while the Snapdragon variants have a SIM card and a microSDHC/SIM card hybrid slot; the microSDHC slot can also be used as a secondary SIM card slot.
Wi-Fi Yes Wi-Fi standards supported 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac GPS Yes Bluetooth Yes, v 4.10 NFC No Infrared Yes USB On-The-Go Yes 3.5 mm headphone jack Yes FM radio Yes Number of SIM card slots 2
Software[edit]
The Snapdragon variant (kenzo) runs on an Android based MIUI 7 OS which was updated to MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0 and then to MIUI 10. Many custom Android ROMs are available for this device; notable examples are MIUI 9 based on Android 7.0, CyanogenMod 13 and 14 (based on Android Marshmallow and Nougat, respectively), Lineage OS 13, 14, 15, Resurrection Remix OS 8.6 (based on Android 10) and an unstable port of Sailfish OS. Custom ROMs based on Android Lollipop, Marshmallow, Nougat, Oreo, Pie, 10, 11 and 12 are also available, like Pixel Experience, ArrowOS, HavocOS, etc.
The Redmi Note 3 Special Edition (kate) came with MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0 which can be updated to MIUI 10.
Although both of the Snapdragon-based variants (kenzo and kate) are similar with their ROMs, their firmware aren't compatible with each other and installing the wrong one may brick the device.
The MediaTek variant (hennessey) runs on MIUI 7, it can be updated to MIUI 9 but didn't get a MIUI 10 update.
On 21 December 2018, Xiaomi announced the end of software support for the phone. In January 2019, it received its final MIUI update.
Sales[edit]
On 25 August 2016, Xiaomi reported it had sold around 1.75 million units since March 2016. It also became the highest-shipped smartphone in India's online market in Q2 2016. It also became India's best online selling phone after it sold 2.3 million units until September 2016.
In September 2017, InsightPortal reported the phone ranked 10th in their list of top ten devices worldwide with a market share of 1.1%.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 is the fourth smartphone under the Redmi Note series developed by Xiaomi Inc. It is a part of Xiaomi's budget Redmi smartphone lineup. It has two variants : The older version sold as Redmi Note 4 is powered by a Deca-core Mediatek MT6797 Helio X20 SOC. The upgraded version, sold both as Redmi Note 4X and Redmi Note 4 (where MTK version was not released) is powered by an Octa-core MSM8953 Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC. The Redmi Note 4 was succeeded by Redmi Note 5.
History[edit]
In January 2017, the Snapdragon version of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 or Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X became the company's first major launch. It came with 2GB RAM + 32GB eMMC, 3GB RAM + 16 or 32GB eMMC and 4GB RAM + 64GB eMMC variants. The phone sports a 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display (1080 x 1920 resolution), translating to a pixel density of 401ppi. The display also promises to have contrast ratio of 1000:1 and 72% coverage of NTSC colour gamut.
On February 14, 2017, alongside the Chinese release of the Redmi Note 4X, Xiaomi released a limited edition set of the phone featuring Hatsune Miku. The set contained a customized box, the phone, a power bank and a protective case.
In October 2017, Lei Jun announced that the sales of Redmi Note 4X exceeded 20 million units globally and its reputation was good.
The company announced that as many as 9,624,110 units of Redmi Note 4 were sold in India in 2017 and that it was one of their best-selling smartphones in the last quarter of 2017.
The device sold over 10 Million units in India alone.
The company discontinued the smartphone's sale in favor of the successors Redmi 5 and Redmi Note 5.
Specifications[edit]
Hardware[edit]
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 MTK (codename nikel) is equipped with CPU and Mali-T880 MP4 GPU. It runs MIUI 8, (updated to MIUI 9.6) based on Android 6.0 .
The Global 4 or 4X variant (SD - codename mido) uses Qualcomm's Octa-core 2.0 GHz CPU and Adreno 506 GPU.
All variants included an 5.5 in (140 mm) 1080p display, 2, 3 or 4 GB of RAM, 16, 32 or 64 GB eMMC 5.1 Flash storage, a 5MP front camera, non-removable 4100 mAh Li-Po battery (BN41/BN43) and it supports Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac* (* = Wi-Fi 802.11 ac band is supported on MTK variant only) networks on both the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. Phones also support hybrid SIM and Memory Card configuration in which the user can have either two SIM cards or a SIM card + microSDHC card at one time because one SIM card and the microSDHC card share the same physical tray slot.
Another notable feature of the phone is the presence of a fingerprint sensor at the back which can also be used for capturing images via the front or the rear cameras. The device also comes equipped with an RGB Notification LED light and is recognized as one of the last phones by Xiaomi to have an RGB light instead of the monochromatic White color notification LED used in devices launched thereafter.
The Redmi Note 4(MTK) has screws on each side of the micro-USB port which allows easy access to internal components. The Redmi Note 4X does not have this pair of screws.
Also, the Redmi Note 4 (MTK) has a full metal body whereas the Global and Snapdragon variants of the phone have an anodized aluminum body with plastic inserts at the top and bottom for better signal reception. The global variant also does not have the diamond cut finish found on the MediaTek variant of the phone.
Software[edit]
On launch, it ran MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0, which was updated to MIUI 10.2 based on Android 7.0 for Snapdragon devices. Purchasing a Redmi Note 4 Snapdragon variant now will be running MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0.1 instead of Android 6.0. The Global Snapdragon Edition of the device is slated to receive MIUI 11 update based on Android 7.0 in November 2019.
The MediaTek edition, however, runs on MIUI 10 based on Android 6.0.
The Sailfish OS was ported on a Qualcomm version of Note 4.
Through Custom Roms, Android versions up to Android 13 is available for Note 4. It is one of the most widely supported phone in custom Rom community.
Variants comparison[edit]
Name Codename Display Resolution Release date SoC RAM User memory LTE Camera Front camera Battery Operating system MIUI distributions Redmi Note 4 nikel IPS 5.5" HD 1080p August 2016 Mediatek
Helio X20
2 x 2.1 GHz + 4 x 1.85 GHz + 4 x 1.4 GHz
3 GB 32 GB Yes 13 MP 5 MP 4100 mAh
(typical)/4000 mAh (minimal)
MIUI 10
Android 6.0
MIUI 8 when released
China, Global and Xiaomi.eu 64 GB 4 GB 64 GB China Redmi Note 4X
Redmi Note 4
mido January 2017 Qualcomm
Snapdragon 625
8 x 2.0 GHz
2 or 3 GB 16 GB MIUI 11
Android 7.0
MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0.1 when released
China, Global and Xiaomi.eu 32 GB 4 GB 64 GB Global and Xiaomi.eu
Reception[edit]
The smartphone received mostly positive feedback upon its launch because of its great battery life, CPU performance, good thermal performance, great price-to-performance ratio and a great day-to-day performance.
GSMArena states: "The Redmi Note 4(X)'s Snapdragon 625, which we consider to be the ultimate mid-range chipset for this generation, provides excellent performance with great power efficiency and thermal properties. The battery life of this phone is jaw-dropping, the MIUI experience is smooth, and the camera does well in all occasions. All these goodies come in a sturdy metal body, which adds to the already great value of the Redmi Note 4(X)." Also, in GSMArena's device review, the Snapdragon edition of the phone scored much better than the specified figures, getting a 1500:1 Contrast ratio, 484nits of maximum luminance and excellent colour accuracy for the class.[1]
According to AndroidAuthority: "The Redmi Note 4(X) is not perfect, but it is a well-rounded package that one wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone looking for a budget or mid-range smartphone. Packed in a neat chassis, the smartphone performs great and is a compelling value-for-money smartphone."
Gadgets360 also rated the phone 8 on 10, appreciating the device for its battery efficiency, good performance for the class and good thermal efficiency.
AndroidCentral also considered Redmi Note 4(SD variant) to be one of the best smartphones one can buy in the mid-budget range even after 6 months of launch.
TechRadar called Redmi Note 4 to be an overall impressive device overall, though lacking the X factor, getting 4/5 ratings.
Initially, upon launch, it was not received as the true successor of the Redmi Note 3(Snapdragon Variant) mostly because of the use of the Snapdragon 625 as opposed to the Snapdragon 650 in Redmi Note 3 in terms of the RAW performance of the CPU and GPU. Though perceived initially as a theoretical downgrade by media, XDA Developers also considered the device an upgrade to Redmi Note 3, citing its overall sustained performance, on par day to day performance and better battery and thermal performance by a good margin. The new Snapdragon 625 was well received by users as well as reviewers after using the device for a while owing to the better fabrication process, battery life and thermal efficiency of the new chipset over the Snapdragon 650.